Skidmore, who was present, attempted to protest, but his voice was drowned by the clamor of the audience.He then started a party of his own, which he called the Original Workingman's party but which became known as the Agrarian party.The majority endeavored to rectify their position in the community by an address to the people."We take this opportunity," they said, "to aver, whatever may be said to the contrary by ignorant or designing individuals or biased presses, that we have no desire or intention of disturbing the rights of property in individuals or the public." In the meantime Robert Dale Owen and Fanny Wright organized a party of their own, endorsing an extreme form of state paternalism over children.This State Guardianship Plan, as it was called, aimed to "regenerate America in a generation" and to "make but one class out of the many that now envy and despise each other."There were, then, three workingmen's parties in New York, none of which, however, succeeded in gaining an influential position in state politics.After 1830 all these parties disappeared, but not without leaving a legacy of valuable experience."The Working Man's Advocate" discovered political wisdom when it confessed that "whether these measures are carried by the formation of a new party, by the reform of an old one, or by the abolishment of party altogether, is of comparative unimportance."In New England, the workingmen's political endeavors were joined with those of the farmers under the agency of the New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics, and Workingmen.This organization was initiated in 1830 by the workingmen of Woodstock, Vermont, and their journal, the "Working Man's Gazette," became a medium of agitation which affected all the New England manufacturing towns as well as many farming communities.
"Woodstock meetings," as they were called, were held everywhere and aroused both workingmen and farmers to form a new political party."The Springfield Republican" summarized the demands of the new party thus:
"The avowed objects generally seem to be to abolish imprisonment for debt, the abolishment of litigation, and in lieu thereof the settlement of disputes by reference to neighbors; to establish some more equal and universal system of public education; to diminish the salaries and extravagance of public officers; to support no men for offices of public trust, but farmers, mechanics, and what the party call "working men"; and to elevate the character of this class by mental instruction and mental improvement....Much is said against the wealth and aristocracy of the land, their influence, and the undue influence of lawyers and other professional men....The most of these objects appear very well on paper and we believe they are already sustained by the good sense of the people....What is most ridiculous about this party is, that in many places where the greatest noise is made about it, the most indolent and most worthless persons, men of no trade or useful occupation have taken the lead.We cannot of course answer for the character for industry of many places where this party is agitated: but we believe the great body of our own community, embracing every class and profession, may justly be called workingmen: nor do we believe enough can be found who are not such, to make even a decent party of drones."In the early thirties many towns and cities in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island elected workingmen's candidates to local offices, usually with the help of small tradespeople.In 1833 and 1834 the workingmen of Massachusetts put a state ticket in the field which polled about 2000 votes, and in Boston a workingman's party was organized, but it did not gather much momentum and soon disappeared.
These local and desultory attempts at forming a separate labor party failed as partisan movements.The labor leader proved an inefficient amateur when matched against the shrewd and experienced party manipulator; nor was there a sufficient class homogeneity to keep the labor vote together; and, even if it had so been united, there were not enough labor votes to make a majority.So the labor candidate had to rely on the good will of other classes in order to win his election.And this support was not forthcoming.Americans have, thus far, always looked with suspicion upon a party that represented primarily the interests of only one class.This tendency shows a healthy instinct founded upon the fundamental conception of society as a great unity whose life and progress depend upon the freedom of all its diverse parts.
